AutoCAD Tutorial 12: Project One - Creating a Pencil

For the second point, click on a point next to the first point we selected. This will tell us which direction the slicing tool is going to cut:

When you slice an object you are left with 2 pieces, the object itself that has been cut and the cut piece. We can choose to keep both if we wanted to but in this case we only want to keep the object itself. Pretend there is an imaginary line where we cut it; the picture below it is the red line I have drawn. If we click on the side where the object itself is, then we will keep the object and discard the cut. If we click on the other side of the line then we will discard the object and keep the cut. We want the object so click above the imaginary line (you won't see that red line in AutoCAD) to keep the object itself:

Currently it should look like this now:

A hexagon has 6 sides. We have already done one side. Using the constrained orbit tool to adjust your view, slice each side as I showed you before. It should look something like this now:

Back to the hexagon tower, adjust your view you can see the bottom of it. While you are there, draw some 2D lines to create an intersection point at the bottom of the hexagon tower to use as a snap (be sure the lines go to opposite ends of the hexagon):

Time to put the other end onto the pencil, re-adjust your view so you can see the last pencil object we made (the other with the chamfered end) then activate the 3D rotate tool, select both cylinders of the pencil end and press ENTER:

Move your mouse and let the cursor snap to the center of the bottom cylinder end and click (You may need to move your mouse around to get the snap to appear):

For the rotational axis, click on the one highlighted in orange in the picture below:

For the angle starting point, once again click at the center, letting it snap (you may need to move the mouse around to make the snap appear):

Now hold SHIFT and mouse the mouse around until the pencil end is facing downwards like the one in the picture and click:

Now activate the 3D move tool and select both cylinders of the pencil end and press ENTER:

Now move your mouse and let it snap to the top of the bigger cylinder center using snaps then click:

Now the pencil end should be moving with your mouse. Using the constrained orbit tool to adjust your view, adjust it so you can see the bottom of the hexagon tower and press ESCAPE to resume using the 3D move tool then click at the intersection where the two 2D lines we drew earlier intersect. (They may be hidden from view by the pencil end that is moving around with your mouse but still search for it by moving your mouse around):

Now we finished putting the parts together. It's starting to look like a pencil:

Let's lay it facedown using the 3D rotate tool. Activate it and select all 5 pieces of the model and press ENTER (there should be 5 pieces excluding the 2D lines):

Zoom in at the bottom of the hexagon tower and click on the intersection point we previously used or the center of the pencil lid (doesn't matter):

For the rotational axis, select the one highlighted orange in the picture below:

For the angle starting point, click at the intersection point at the bottom of the hexagon tower or the center point of the pencil lid (doesn't matter):

Hold shift and move your mouse until the model is lying down and then click:

Open the materials panel by right clicking at the top of the tools palette and selecting “materials”

Now, using this panel you can “colour in” your pencil, giving it texture and fill etc. You can experiment, and see what will go together good etc. This is my pencil in render mode:

Well, I've hoped you enjoyed this tutorial as much as I have when writing it.